AIStart Incubator Boosted Beside Studio, a Progressive Interior Architecture Company
Founded in 2024, Beside Studio Oy was born from a desire to reinvent interior architecture and bring fresh thinking to the field. From the very beginning, the company’s values, goals, and expertise were clear – and with the help of AI, its marketing and concept were refined to fully reflect its people-centered vision.
Text: Anna Lundén
Founded in 2024, Beside Studio Oy was born from a desire to approach interior architecture in a new way. Founder Hanna Bondfolk explains that the idea took shape together with co-founder and interior architect Salla-Maria Väliaho. Having previously worked in the same design office, their discussions led to the vision of a more holistic approach to design. What if the entire process took place from the very beginning around the same table — together with the client, Beside’s experts, and other specialized designers?
“Even the name Beside comes from the idea that we walk alongside the client throughout the entire project. We want to remove hierarchy and act as the client’s tools. This isn’t old-school design where the designer simply creates their own vision — we find the best solutions together with the client and bring in experts right from the start,” Bondfolk explains.
The principle of walking beside the client has been a core value from the beginning. The goal is for the client to clearly understand from the start what is needed — ensuring a smooth and meaningful outcome. At the same time, the pressure within the construction process is reduced when everyone works collaboratively.
During the first months, the team focused on how to make their values and ways of working visible to clients. Although they knew exactly what they wanted to do, sales and marketing were new territory for the newly founded company.
AI was a great help in the early stages of the company
Bondfolk emphasizes that AI doesn’t do everything for you — but it opens doors to new ways of ideating and developing your business. Her message to other entrepreneurs is clear: if you’re interested in growing and expanding what you do, AIStart provides an excellent platform to do so.
“The more you put into the course, the more you get out of it. AI enables creative thinking and helps you view your product from different perspectives. It gives you the courage to experiment and opens new doors for developing a young company.”
Beside’s story shows that strong values and a desire to do things differently create a solid foundation for a business — but without the right tools and visibility, getting started can be difficult. With AIStart, Beside received exactly the kind of support it needed: help in launching marketing and sales, optimizing time management, and building the confidence to embrace new technology.
In Bondfolk’s words:
“AIStart has been an excellent program for a new entrepreneur. It has helped me understand that AI doesn’t take away what defines my core expertise — it allows me to focus on it even more.”
“We knew what we wanted to sell, but not quite how. That’s where this course was brilliant.”
Bondfolk says the biggest surprise in the AIStart program was its interactivity. Entrepreneurs from different industries brought new perspectives to the group work, helping Beside view its own operations more objectively. The online sessions were also highly engaging, with small groups working actively together.
The most challenging part, she admits, was that AI initially felt abstract — the enthusiasm was huge, but only toward the end of the course did she realize the importance of using it critically.
“AI is a good servant but a bad master. You have to be curious and willing to experiment, but also use common sense. My biggest insight has been that AI has enabled me to optimize my time and expand my understanding of running a company. It’s allowed me to focus on what I — not AI — do best.”
AI gives entrepreneurs the courage to experiment and helps open new doors for business development.
Bondfolk emphasizes that AI doesn’t do everything for you — but it opens doors to new ways of ideating and developing your business. Her message to other entrepreneurs is clear: if you’re interested in growing and expanding what you do, AIStart provides an excellent platform to do so.
“The more you put into the course, the more you get out of it. AI enables creative thinking and helps you view your product from different perspectives. It gives you the courage to experiment and opens new doors for developing a young company.”
Beside’s story shows that strong values and a desire to do things differently create a solid foundation for a business — but without the right tools and visibility, getting started can be difficult. With AIStart, Beside received exactly the kind of support it needed: help in launching marketing and sales, optimizing time management, and building the confidence to embrace new technology.
In Bondfolk’s words:
“AIStart has been an excellent program for a new entrepreneur. It has helped me understand that AI doesn’t take away what defines my core expertise — it allows me to focus on it even more.”